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Former CBAers Look for KO

May 15, 2003 - United Indoor Football Association (UIF)
Ohio Valley Greyhounds News Release


Boise, ID (May 15, 2003) — Four former Continental Basketball Association standout players will try to throw a knockout punch tonight and move on to the Western Conference Finals of the NBA Playoffs, as the Los Angeles Lakers host the San Antonio Spurs, while the Sacramento Kings battle the Dallas Mavericks.

In Los Angeles, San Antonio leads the series 3-2, and the Spurs' Bruce Bowen and Stephen Jackson look to end the three-year reign of the Lakers, who are led by coaching legend and CBA alum, Phil Jackson. Both Bowen and Jackson have started all eleven playoff games for San Antonio and both have been key contributors. Jackson is averaging 13.0 points per game, while Bowen is tossing in 8.2 points per contest (11.8 during the conference semi-finals) and has the responsibility of defending Kobe Bryant in clutch situations.

A few hours north in Sacramento, Raja Bell and Adrian Griffin of the Dallas Mavericks will try to dismiss the Kings from the postseason in Arco Arena. On Tuesday night, Bell started his second straight game, for the injured Griffin, and was instrumental in the 112-93 Mavericks win, pushing their series lead to 3-2. Bell has played in nine of eleven of Dallas' playoff games and is averaging over 16 minutes of action per contest. Griffin has also played in nine of the eleven playoff matches, but has missed the last two games with an ankle injury.

Griffin and Bell both won CBA Championships (Griffin in 1999, and Bell in 2000 with the Yakima Sun Kings), before getting their shot in the NBA, and both players equally credit the CBA with helping them handle the pressure during the NBA Playoffs.

"The CBA was great for me," said Bell from the Mavericks practice on Wednesday. "Anytime you go through playoffs... I was fortunate enough to win in Yakima (CBA) and that next year I went to the finals with the Sixers. All of that experience, combined, helps me in situations like this. Like Nellie (Don Nelson) says, you can never get too high with the highs or too low with the lows. The CBA has helped me tremendously with every part of my game."

"With the CBA, I was able to get in there and work on my game and get a lot of reps, get a lot of touches and learn the pro system," said Griffin. "When I did come in to the NBA, I had a smooth transition."

Joining Bell, Griffin and the rest of the Mavericks on the bench is assistant coach Paul Mokeski, a former CBA player and head coach. Across the court from him, the Kings' Elston Turner, who played five seasons in the CBA, will be roaming the sidelines as an assistant coach.

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